


Heat

by BunniesofDoom



Category: RWBY
Genre: Dorks in Love, F/F, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Mechanical Rose, Nuts and Dolts - Freeform, Romance, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Volume 7 (RWBY)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:47:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28461111
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BunniesofDoom/pseuds/BunniesofDoom
Summary: "Can I ask you a question?"
Relationships: Penny Polendina/Ruby Rose
Comments: 8
Kudos: 69





	Heat

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AirForceMuffin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AirForceMuffin/gifts).



> This is based on a friend's idea that Penny can sense that Ruby's temperature is higher whenever she's around with her special heat senses. I thought the idea was too cute and asked if I could write something for it. Happy belated birthday! Hopefully it turned out well. I had a lot of fun writing it!
> 
> Set in the earlier part of volume 7, before everything, well, you know.
> 
> Enjoy!

Ever since Ruby came to Atlas, Penny has never been happier.

When she had awoken after what happened to her in Amity Arena, part of her had wondered if she would ever see her friend again. There had been many casualties in the Fall of Beacon, after all, and despite how amazing Ruby was, she could have been among them. Even so, the thought of losing Ruby—warm, vibrant, alive, Ruby—feels wrong to Penny, utterly alien. Surely Penny would have been able to sense it somehow, if Ruby was gone. Intuition, or something like that.

So, Penny had refused to give up on her friend. Every time she looked up at the night sky over Atlas, she allowed herself to hope that somewhere in Remnant, Ruby was looking up at the same stars. And maybe someday in the future, somehow, their paths would cross again. Her mind drifts occasionally when she patrols the streets of Mantle, to what she would do if Ruby was here. She imagines showing her friend around the city, chatting with her while they work, and taking down the Grimm as a flawless team.

Thoughts of Ruby are the spark that keeps her cheerful even as things seem to get worse in Atlas. When she's frustrated with her father or with General Ironwood's orders, she imagines what Ruby would have to say about what's happening. On cold solo missions it's always Ruby who she imagines keeping her company.

Penny isn't blind, after all. She spends a lot of time in Mantle, as the protector of the city. She sees the unfair conditions that the people are forced to put up with. When the citizens grow frustrated with their circumstances, it's her who bears the brunt of their misplaced anger. Despite Ironwood's reassurances, Penny knows that things aren't right here. She just wishes that there was more she could do.

If Ruby was here, Penny knows that her friend would be able to come up with a solution.

It's a lot of pressure for the Protector of Mantle. But when she thinks of seeing Ruby again someday, things suddenly don't seem so bad.

And then suddenly, Ruby is here. In Atlas. With Penny. It seems too good to be true, but every one of Penny's sensors tells her that this is no illusion. It's real. Her friend is really here.

It's wonderful seeing all of the others as well—Penny has so many new friends now—but her relationship with Ruby is different. Special. She was Penny's first friend after all. And to Penny's relief, Ruby is just how she remembered her, funny and kind and patient and beautiful.

There are a few differences, however. Ruby seems tired, older, like there's a heavy weight pressing on her mind. Penny wants to ask her about it, to try to ease Ruby's worries if she can. The way friends are supposed to.

The first time she sees Ruby with her new haircut and outfit, Penny can't take her eyes off her friend. She doesn't even realize that she's staring until Ruby asks what's wrong.

"Did I spill something on my clothes again?"

"Oh, nothing," Penny reassures her. "You just look really nice, that's all." Ruby immediately gets flustered at the compliment, stuttering wildly and turning a rather attractive shade of red.

Human reactions are so varied! It's fascinating to observe.

On the subject of human reactions, Penny has noticed something about Ruby lately, and it has her a bit concerned.

When her father was constructing her new body, he'd upgraded it with several new features. Her personal favorite is the rocket boots that give her the ability to fly; there's nothing she loves more than soaring over the city, getting a bird's eye view of the people below. Penny wishes that she could share the joy of flight with Ruby. Maybe she could invite her friend to come flying with her sometime, if she can find the time?

But anyway, one of the other upgrades her father had given her was the ability to detect heat signatures. It comes in handy on days when she's allowed to assist him in his clinic—she's very good at spotting sick people—and when she's out scouting in the tundra for camouflaged threats to the communication tower.

And Penny has noticed that Ruby's body temperature is higher than the average person's.

At first, she doesn't think too much about it. After all, she's read that body temperature can fluctuate. Maybe Ruby is just naturally warmer? But when her sensors are still detecting the extra warmth from Ruby a week later, she starts to worry.

Could Ruby be sick? Her friend doesn't really seem sick, aside from seeming a little tired. She isn't coughing or sneezing like most sick people that Penny has seen. But there are a lot of diseases out there that Penny isn't familiar with. Maybe she should just ask Ruby about it?

It's hard to find the right time to ask her friend about it. They've both been so busy lately: Ruby as a newly licensed huntress and Penny with her job as the Protector of Mantle. And they both have been helping with the Amity Tower project.

She finally gets her chance a few days later when they're both helping out in the back room of her father's clinic in Mantle. It's just the two of them, organizing medications and sorting through mechanical parts and stacks of files. They chat occasionally while they work, both happy to finally have some alone time together. Finally, Penny decides that it's the right time.

"Hey Ruby," she begins. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course!" Ruby replies, setting down the stack of files she was holding and turning to face Penny with a bright smile. "You can ask me anything, Penny."

"Thanks, Ruby!" If Penny needed to breath, she would take a deep breath before asking. Instead, she just pauses briefly. "So, I've noticed lately that your temperature is higher than normal. Do you think you might be sick?"

"Wait, you can sense temperature? That's so cool!" Ruby exclaims, going starry-eyed the way she always does when Penny talks about her abilities. Penny loves her enthusiasm, and she loves the way that her friend doesn't get freaked out or treat Penny any differently because of it. After a moment, Ruby shakes her head. "Wait, you could sense that?"

Penny nods. "Yes. I've been sensing that your core temperature has been higher than average every time we've been together for the past week. That's why I wanted to ask. Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm not sick, Penny," Ruby insists, shaking her head again. Her cheeks have turned bright pink. She looks very pretty when she blushes. "It's not like that, honestly."

"Then what is it?" Penny asks eagerly. If Ruby's not sick, then what could it be? "I've read that prolonged raised body temperature can be very dangerous, and I wouldn't want anything to happen to you, not when I just got you back. What do you think—"

"I like you!" Ruby blurts out, her entire face turning bright red. "That's what it is. It's because I like you."

"I—I like you too," Penny replies, confused. She doesn't understand what that has to do with—

"No, Penny," Ruby says gently, interrupting her thoughts. "I mean I like you like you." When Penny doesn't respond, she sighs. "I'm in love with you, Penny."

"Oh." Penny isn't entirely sure if she's ever been in love, but she's pretty sure from the research she's done (reading the romance novels available in the Atlas Academy Library) her feeling for Ruby could qualify as love. Always thinking about her? Check. Always wanting to be around her? Check. Always wanting to make her smile? Check.

In fact, the more she allows herself to think about it, the more right it seems. Penny Polendina is in love with Ruby Rose. "I love you too, Ruby."

"Really?" Ruby is still blushing, but the smile that spreads slowly across her face is the most beautiful thing that Penny has ever seen. "That-that's great."

"Indeed," Penny grins back at Ruby. Being in love does seem pretty great to her. She's struck by a sudden idea. "Hey, Ruby?"

"Yeah, Penny? What is it?"

"Does this make us girlfriends, then?"

Ruby blinks in surprise, then reaches over and takes Penny's hands in her own, giving them a gentle squeeze. "Yes, Penny. I think that makes us girlfriends."

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Please comment and leave kudos if you liked it.
> 
> I can't wait until February rolls around and Penny is fine and I get to mark all of Line of Succession as an AU. I'm manifesting it now.
> 
> Also I'm currently on winter break and I do take writing requests, so if there's something that you'd like to see me write please feel free to message me. If I like your idea there's a good chance that I'll end up writing a little something for it.
> 
> Happy New Year!


End file.
